Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a pencil for writing, sketching, drawing, and cosmetic purposes, in particular, a wood-encased pencil. Such pencils have a protective jacket accommodating a lead in the center. However, the term pencils should also be understood as meaning pencil-shaped holders for leads. Wood-encased pencils generally have a smooth surface formed by a coat of paint. Holding the pencil is, therefore, associated with a relatively great application of force, which causes fatigue upon extended use.
European Patent EP 1 177 108, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,461,067 to Beck et al., discloses a pencil of the type mentioned in the introduction in which the surface serving for handling has raised structures made of a plastic material that form grip surfaces or grip nubs. The grippability of the pencil is increased by the presence of the raised structures alone. A further improvement in the grippability and tactile properties can be achieved by selecting an appropriate plastic material. The raised structures in the case of the known pencil are applied to the surface of the pencil in the form of an initially flowable plastic composition, which, then, solidifies or is solidifiable. The main constituent of the plastic composition is an aqueous, water-resistant hardening polymer dispersion or a mixture of such dispersions.
Japanese Patent Document 09/039467 A discloses pencil sleeves made of plastic or metal, to the surfaces of which raised structures are applied in the manner mentioned above. The initially flowable plastic preparation is a mixture of a polyurethane resin, polyol, and at least one hardener for the polyurethane resin. The structures applied to the pencil sleeves in the screen-printing are hardened at temperatures above 80° C. Such temperatures are harmful for painted wooden pencils, which also often contain sensitive leads, meaning that the nubs known from the cited publication cannot be used for wood-encased pencils.